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Monday 5 September 2016

Save the Futurist? It's too late now!


August 2015 - still the subject of a 'Save' campaign

Lime Street's redevelopment has claimed another piece of Liverpool's heritage. The Futurist Cinema with it's imposing facade has been flattened. Despite a campaign to save the Edwardian gem, it has now been completely demolished. It was hoped that the facade could be saved but the best that can now be hoped for is that a small part of the original design (perhaps the bricks that formed 'Picture House'?) can be incorporated into the new building. The Futurist is one of 10 buildings that are being knocked down in Lime Street to make way for new commercial, retail and leisure premises.

August 2016. Too late now! A few days later it was completely demolished.

The Futurist was built in 1912 as the Lime Street Picture House (it was renamed in 1920) and closed in 1982. It has been allowed to decay ever since and whilst it wouldn't have been realistic to refurbish it and reopen as a cinema, surely the iconic frontage could have been saved (as with Manchester's Free Trade Hall for example)?

If you'd like a bit more history there is lots of information here - https://thefuturistcinema.wordpress.com/